Ba Shan Fan
Ba Shan Fan is a fighting style used by Hotaru in Mortal Kombat: Deception, then by Sareena in Mortal Kombat: Armageddon. Although it is called Fānziquán today, it was originally called Bāshǎnfān until the Ming Dynasty. It has been used for its speed, and combined with other styles to make them more effective. History Ba Shan Fan's orgin go all the way back to the Song Dynasty but, the boxing manuals and theories date back to the Ming Dynasty. During the Ming period, a general by the name of Qi Jiguang possessed a book called Jixiao Xinshu, and in chapter 14 of that book showed Ba Shan Fan as a fighting style at that time. Ba Shan Fan manuals reveal that during the Ming Dynasty that an injured warrior named Wang Zhiquan was taught the style by a wanderer after receiving medical attention from him. The style was then passed downed through various generations in the northern provinces, and soon the style had spread throughout the counties of the Hebei Province with each county adding their own twists to the style. Style Ba Shan Fan is made up of a few key principles from which the style is based on and developed on. A basic key to the style is to rotate, being able to turnover an opponent's offense or defense or displace it completely with an attack. Ba Shan Fan is filled with solid and rapid movements with explosive energy and these movements are done in a single breath which gives opponents the feeling that they are defenseless against it. This is not a chain of the same technique but rather a chain of many angled full power attacks and defensive and attack based methods. Fundamentals The Basics of Ba Shan Fan require the sight, waist, stance/step, hip, elbows, knees, and shoulders to be coordinated, flexible, and strengthened. To development, the basics of the style one must study many short basic techniques such as these. *Yi Bu San Quan (一步 三 捶, One Step 3 Strikes) *Qian Ba Xia (前 八 下, Frontal 8 Downwards) *Wu Hua Pao (五 花炮, 5 Cannons Flower (Fireworks)) *Lu Shou Chui (捋 手 捶, Lead to Strike) *Ya Chui (压 捶, Pressing Strike) *Mo Yun Shou (云 摩 手, Cloud Rubbing Hands) *Tiao Chui (挑 捶, Carry Over Strike) *Ning Bu Fan (拧 不 翻, Twisting Turning Step Strike) *Beng Chui (蹦 捶, Crushing Strike) *Chui Gai (盖 捶, Cover Over Strike) *Fan Quan (翻 拳, Turning Downward Fist) *Zuan Quan (钻 拳, Upwward Drilling Fist) *Shuai Quan (摔 拳, Throwing Fist) *Sha Zhang (杀 掌, Killing Palm) *Mo Chui (抹 捶, Smearing Strike) *Liao Yin Chui (撩 阴 捶, Pull Down Strike) *Xiu Chui (袖 捶, Turn Sleeves) *Chui Shao (Strike Extensions) *Ning From (Winding On Strike) *Fans Tiao (Turnover Leap) *Ba Da (Strike Fling Aside) *Pi Za Chui (Splitting Hammer Strike) *January Chui Huan (Changing Root Strike) *Lan Tui Men (The Gate Unlocking Kick) *Zhan Shan (Suddenly Unfold) A few of the practices above are grouped into what is usually called Yue Jia Shi Ba Chui (18 strikes of the Yue family), some are even practiced together in what is called Zheng Ba Fan. Training in Ba Shan Fan at the beginning relies on its key basic movements, and it is a combat effective style relying of fast deceptive movements with rotating methods for aggressive attack methods. Even though these techniques may seem to be quite chaotic to the opponent, it takes mastery to be sure that every movement with timed and coordinated to perfection. The Forms of Ba Shan Fan are actually more like sets of training methods, some are individual techniques while others are chains of techniques and some are actual forms. Forms Liu Tang Gen (6 sequence roots) Each of Liu Tang Gen's six sequences containing three moving gates, with each gate having four entries, and each entry method has five hands short strike. Thus there is 18 moving gates, 72 entry methods, and 360 techniques. This form of Ba Shan Fan is said to be the first created form of the style, believed to created by military officer, Zhang Qing to train his Soldiers. Here is the first three of six sequences of the three moving gates. *'Sequence 1:' Tornado Palm (Xuan Feng Zhang), Green Dragon Exits Water (Qing Long Chu Shui), Waist Chopping Stone Man (Yao Zhan Shi Ren) * Sequence 2: Connected Strikes (Jie Chong), Guan Yin Offers Back (Guanyin Xian Bei), Double Unfolds (Shuang Zhan) * 'Sequence 3: '''Lu Shou Zhu Xia (Leading hands assist below), Hai Di Fang Sha (Sand in the Bottom of the Ocean), Suo Shou Tui Zhang (Locking Hands Push Palm) Ba Fan Shou (24 methods) These techniques are combinations of the fundamentals, introducing techniques that are basic to more advanced techniques. But, these are ancient and very rare thus, only the first eight are well known and practiced by only a few. Many of these techniques are being abandoned for newer forms but, they have become essential in the development of the true Ba Shan Fan techniques. Ba Fan Shou is a series of short combinations of strikes with each consisting of five strikes. * Shi Zi Zheng Chui (Cross Strike) * Ban Kou Fa Chui (Remove Button Release the Strike) * Fan lu Zuan Da (Turn over pullback entering Strike) * Ye Li Cang Hua (Flower concealed within the leaf) * Xian Ren Zhang Duo (Take the helm Immortal Palms) * Ba Wang Kun Zhu (Conqueror bundles the Pigs) * Er Long Xi Zhu (Two Dragons Play with Pearls) * Yan Bi Jia Da (Cover the arm upperblock strike) Ba Lian Shou (8 Continous Hands) This set of techniques is more difficult to master than the previously mentioned sets, and introduces the concept of continuous linkage. While Ba Fan Shou focuses on how to change a strike, Ba Lian Shou focuses on the same thing but with continuity. * Bao Zhou Lian Da (Carry Elbow Strike in Succession) * Jin Yu Dou Lin (Goldfish Trembles Scales) * Pi Za Mo Da (Spitting Hammer Smearing Strike) * Pan Zhou Yao Zhan (Climbing elbow waist Chop) * Shang Fan Xia Chui (Upper Turns to Lower Strike) * Yun Mo Shao Chui (Cloud Rubbing extensions Strike) * Gai Ma San Chui (Covering Horse 3 Strikes) * Fan Shen Pi Za (Turn body Splitting Hammer) Ba Hua Shou (8 Transforming Hands) This is an advanced set of techniques where change is now possible in a continuous fashion but, include midstrike modification and how to predict the reactions of opponents. Applying the correct methods to succeed based the force of the opponent's strikes. Empty Hand Sets These sets are sometimes referred as Ba Shan Fan (8 Lightning Flash Hands). * Ba Bu Jin Chan Shen (8 Step Tight Entanglement) * Shi Ba Lan Tui (18 interfering kicks) * Hei Hu Quan (Black Tiger Boxing) * Lian Huan Jiao (Continuous Kicks) * Fa Shou Chui (Releasing Hands Strikes) * Qi Bu Quan (7 Step Boxing) * Si Bu Shi (4 Postures) * Mei Hua Pao (Plum Blossom Cannons) Combat Hand Sets (Yue Shi San Shou) Sha Ba Shi (18 methods-single parts) is a set in the combat hand sets. San Shi Liu He Suo is another combat hand set that introduces Chin Na (Locking/Grappling) and Fan Chin Na (Reverse Locking/Grappling). It also teaches how to escape enemy grabs and how to lock rotations. Movelist Hotaru Sareena Gallery Ex01 (1).gif|Ba Shan Fan fighting stance. ba_shan_fan02.png|Ba Shan Fan in ''Deception. Fgfgh.png|Sareena's Ba Shan Fan. References *"Ba Fan Men History". http://www.satirio.com/ma/bafanmen/history.html. Taiping Institute. n.d. web. *"Ba Fan Men Curriculum". http://www.satirio.com/ma/bafanmen/methodology.html. Taiping Institute. n.d. web. Category:Fighting Styles